


All Dressed Up

by solarwitchwrites



Series: Keeping Score [9]
Category: Black Clover - Tabata Yuki (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Knew Henry, Angst, Black Bulls Squad (Black Clover), M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-17
Updated: 2019-11-28
Packaged: 2020-12-21 04:00:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21068483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/solarwitchwrites/pseuds/solarwitchwrites
Summary: It's the ball to celebrate Rill Boismortier's promotion, and Yami has a list of rules for the evening, straight from Julius: No fighting. No destruction of property. No cursing when he gives his toast. Don't get drunk. Minimum three dances.Finral's plans are simpler: try to avoid his brother, and do his best to have fun.(Set a week or so after Follow My Lead, about six months before Asta joins the Bulls.)





	1. Striking

**Author's Note:**

> This thing tried to go in about three different directions. Hopefully I picked the right one.
> 
> Note on Henry: I hate how canon handled Henry, so in all of my fics, everyone has known about Henry since they moved in to base, and he’s more integrated with the squad. Since he's actually got dialogue in this fic, I tagged the AU.

Frowning at his reflection in the mirror, Finral- not for the first time- wished Yami hadn't chosen black for their squad color. Granted, it was a dead obvious choice for a guy with dark magic whose main fashion goals were 'can I fight in it' and 'does it intimidate people.' And it was a neutral, so technically it matched with everything. But it looked downright funereal when you couldn't mix it up.

Unfortunately, there were currently nine magic knight squads. A formal military ball limited Finral's color options, since it'd be inappropriate to wear another squad's color. So green, along with every other color currently in use, was out. That left... orange, pretty much. And Finral wasn't going to a ball- or anywhere- in black and orange. Not unless it was All Hallows' Eve and Vanessa got him spectacularly drunk first.

So all black it was. Even if it did make him look ridiculously pale. Giving it up as a bad job, Finral opened a portal to the common room and stepped through. 

The atmosphere of warm light, laughter, and the smell of Charmy's cooking made him briefly regret his job as Yami's ride. Especially since the chaos was a little more quiet than usual. It was one of the rare nights that Henry felt well enough to come down for dinner, rearranging the base so that his room opened up onto the dining hall. Luck and Gauche were sitting closest to him. Aside from Yami, they had the most mana and handled his condition the best. Luck was focused on his pudding (which was probably Magna's) but Gauche was telling Henry a long-winded story about his sister. Henry looked like he was trying not to laugh at him.

Behind the bar, Charmy was giving orders to her sheep cooks while Vanessa poured drinks. Magna was downing a shot while giving Luck a look that promised murder (definitely his pudding, then). Two Gordons sat next to him, muttering to each other.

Finral really didn't get Grey sometimes.

The only person missing was Yami. Since Finral couldn't exactly head out without him, he walked over to the bar. Taking a seat, Finral raised an eyebrow when he realized that Vanessa had one of her fancier bottles.

“Really? You put out the good stuff when I'm going to be gone?”

Vanessa wagged her finger at him. “You're going to a ball, aren't you? They'll have better stuff than this.” Winking, she added, “Be sure to steal me a bottle!”

Finral sighed. “Like I'm going to do something like that.” Tilting his head, he looked up at her curiously. “I'm still not sure why you didn't want to go.”

“Stuffy formal party with a dress code? I'd rather drink with my friends. Besides,” she gestured to Henry, “he's having a good week.” Leaning closer to Finral and whispering behind her hand, she said, “I bet Magna that he couldn't even win a poker game against a novice like Henry.” She giggled. 

Finral bit back a laugh of his own, and whispered back, “Novice? You didn't mention Henry's won the last two pots against you, me, and Yami, did you.”

“Nope!” She beamed.

“What did Magna ever do to you?” Finral asked, still keeping his voice down. He was pretty sure he already knew the answer, though.

She laughed. “It's just fun to poke him. That's why Luck does it all the time.”

Finral stopped fighting the fond smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “You guys are the worst.”

Throwing a salute, she declared, “Of course we are! We're Black Bulls.”

“True,” he laughed. With a glance towards the residential wing, Finral said, “I can't believe Yami is taking longer to get ready than I did. I was sure I'd get down here to find him asking me what the heck took me so long.”

Across the room, Henry chuckled. Out of habit, Finral glanced over as Gauche paused in his story. But instead of a comment on Gauche's tale, Henry said, “Captain's... still... shaving. Isn't... good... at it.”

Finral snickered, joined by Vanessa. Magna looked affronted.

“Shaving is an art of manliness, don't disrespect the captain!”

“Don't worry, Magna, virgin delinquents can't grow beards anyway,” Vanessa said sweetly. 

Magna turned to glare at her, opening his mouth to retort, but Luck called out, all cheerful helpfulness, “That's not true, Magna gets three hairs on his chin a week!” 

Vanessa burst into giggles as Finral smothered his own laughter. Even Gauche snorted. Magna whipped back around towards Luck.

Pointing an accusing finger at him, Magna yelled, “If you weren't sitting by Henry, I'd burn you to a crisp! I know that's my pudding, you thief!”

Luck took another bite, grinning. “Once I'm done, wanna kill each other?”

“Bring it-”

Magna's reply was cut off by Yami's voice from the hallway.

“Oi, shouldn't you guys be on better behavior? Landlord's gonna kick us out at this rate.” 

Henry smiled as Yami stepped into the common room. “I'd... miss... the... show.”

Unsurprisingly, Yami had also gone for all black. Equally unsurprising, he'd pulled it off better than Finral. Like Finral, Yami was wearing the formal cape version of the robe, which Finral hadn't even known he'd owned. He was clean shaven, and he'd done something to get his hair to lie a a little flatter. What kept drawing Finral's attention, though, was the sleeves. Or rather, that Yami was actually wearing long sleeves without ditching something else.

Seriously, what did it say about Yami that Finral had never seen him fully covered up before?

There was a small flicker of relief, quickly squashed, in the back of his mind; he'd been a bit worried about his own reaction to Yami getting cleaned up for once. Finral didn't need crossed wires right before a social event. But clearly whatever had happened when he'd taught Yami how to dance had been a one-off. Because, yes, he could concede that Yami looked... _striking_... but Finral's brain didn't feel like it was melting.

He should probably stop looking anyway, though. That was a good idea.

To keep from staring, Finral snuck a glance at Vanessa. He expected her to be a little starstruck at Yami all dressed up. Instead, when he looked her way, she was looking back, expression curious. When their eyes met, she blinked, then laughed. Ignoring Finral's confusion, she turned back towards Yami.

“Looking good, Captain!”

Yami shrugged. “Bit like putting lipstick on a bull, but I guess I can pretend to be a decent captain for one night.”

Something about the statement bothered Finral. Before he could put a finger on it, though, Yami turned his way.

“Let's go, Finral.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback encouraged!


	2. Nerves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which I try to get Yami Sukehiro to describe what someone is wearing, in any amount of detail, without it being OOC.

Yami could recite backwards the reasons why people couldn't just warp into the heart of the capitol. It was still annoying that every time he had to go there- which was already too often- he had to walk through a layer of the city to get anywhere. At least with the shops closed for the evening it was quieter.

Finral stepped through the portal behind him, closing it with a gesture. Yami paused while Finral stowed his grimoire. He'd noticed back at base that Finral looked different, but hadn't taken proper stock. 

Finral had gone through a couple of different hairstyles since they'd met, but the ponytail was new. Yami immediately wanted to pull it loose. The way Finral's hair was pulled back tight, combined with the square stud earrings that he'd swapped his hoops for, lent an unusual harshness to the lines of his face. It was almost like he'd been trying not to look like himself.

It occurred to Yami that this was gonna be the first noble shindig Finral had attended since the disowning. His fingers still twitched with the desire to yank out the hair tie, but he forced them to relax. If Finral wanted to try and slip under the radar, Yami wasn't gonna wreck it for him.

The rest of the outfit wasn't bad. Yami had never minded black as a color; he'd picked if for his squad, after all. The fancier cape was unfamiliar, but that was still the crest Yami had made resting across Finral's chest, a declaration of both his loyalties and whose protection he was under, and that Yami liked. Something _was_ bugging him, though. As if something was out of place, when, really, the problem was that the thing was too damn neat. Closed all the way down instead of Finral's usual loose tunic, no long tails in the back. No flare to the boots. Made Yami want to rip off a button or something. Mess it up a little.

“Yami?” Finral was looking up at him questioningly, probably wondering why he hadn't started walking. For a split second, Yami was tempted to tell him to just take them straight back to base. Get out of the fancy gear that didn't suit either of them. Go have dinner with their pack of misfits.

_I'm not cut out for this crap. I should've asked Julius for a mission bonus._

Instead, Yami sighed. “Guess we should get going.” He started towards the castle.

Finral stepped up next to him, keeping pace. A little hesitantly, he said, “You know, odds are the others are still going to be running around by the time we get back. Vanessa broke out the good stuff, even.” His smile was a bit strained, but genuine. It loosened something in Yami's chest.

_Do I really look so tense that _he's_ trying to cheer _me_ up?_

Out loud, Yami said, “At least there's something to look forward to.”

Finral relaxed a little. “That's the spirit.”

Yami narrowed his eyes, but could only summon up a pretense at annoyance. “Oi. Don't be patronizing, I'm your captain.”

“Wouldn't dream of it, Yami.” More tension left Finral's shoulders. Yami wasn't stupid enough to think that some of it wouldn't come back once they got to the castle, but he'd take what he could get. Especially since keeping Finral as a dance partner was off the table. Apparently some geezer a hundred years ago had decided that a captain dancing with a subordinate was some kind of breech of etiquette. Something something inappropriate favoritism something something. Yami hadn't really been listening past, 'no, you can't dance with Finral.'

“Some people have nothing better to do than make stupid rules,” Yami commented. He was more thinking out loud than anything else, but when Finral looked his way, he elaborated, “No dancing with subordinates. Start on the left foot, even if it makes no sense. Squad colors only, never mind that no one would mistake _you_ for a Green Mantis in a thousand years.”

Finral winced. “...please don't even joke about that.”

Yami rolled his eyes. “Like I'd ever even let Jack borrow you. Must not start fights, that's another one.”

With an exasperated sigh, Finral muttered, “Yami, I think that one's okay...”

“Tch. Killjoy.”

“Coming from you, I think I'll take that as a compliment, actually,” Finral replied. The strain had left his voice.

“You would,” Yami told him. The smile he got in return made Finral look like himself again. Even if Yami still wanted to do something about his hair. Too tidy.

_What the hell, it's one evening. Can't be that bad, right?_

*

Yami, Finral had to admit, was a pretty good distraction for nerves. The strangeness of his current attire was no match for the familiarity of his personality, and Finral managed to mostly relax as they walked through the castle gates. He'd liked this kind of thing, before. No reason he couldn't have a good time tonight, so long as he avoided certain people. Since the feeling was probably mutual, Finral didn't think it'd be much of a problem.

First hour would be casual, drinks and mingling to give all of the important people time to arrive. That'd be followed by the formal toast to the new captain. Finral's imagination skipped over that bit; it'd be just like Yami to say something weird or tactless, and Finral was only going to put himself through the secondhand embarrassment once. After that, the captains would start the dancing.

Right. Yami. Dancing. Finral forced his brain to ignore the rabbit hole. At least he had it on very good authority that Yami wouldn't embarrass himself in that department. 

Traditionally the captains' partners would be eligible young nobles, but Finral wasn't sure if that would be followed tonight. Yami was one thing. Finral was drawing a blank on a noble lady who'd be willing to dance with Jack the Ripper.

When they crossed the ballroom threshold, of course, other, prettier distractions immediately presented themselves. Finral resolved to stop worrying. There was no point when there were better things to be doing. Finral glanced at Yami. _Is he gonna get annoyed if I try to ditch him to go flirt, or...?_

“Oi, Finral.” _Great, that's the I'm-about-to-give-you-a-scary-order face. What the heck did he come up with to tell me to do here?!_ ”One of us,” Yami told him, an edge of threat in his voice, “had better enjoy ourselves.”

Gobsmacked, it took Finral a second to process the words.

“...did you really just order me to have a good time...?”

Completely deadpan, Yami replied, “Yup. Go forth and strike out.”

Now _that_ sounded like Yami. Sputtering an offended denial at the insult to his flirtation ability, Finral stalked off. _Really, that guy is something else. Jerk._

It was stupid, but the jab finally made Finral feel like all was right with the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: So looking at my calendar I realized that next Thursday is Halloween. That's kind of cool, so I haven't figured out yet if I'm gonna do a YamiFin Halloween thing or post All Dressed Up chapter 3. The deciding point is gonna be if I actually manage to write the Halloween thing vs. if this one line in chapter 3 keeps fighting me.
> 
> Either way, there WILL be content next week, promise.
> 
> Feedback encouraged!


	3. Mingle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I did write about half of my Halloween idea, but then hit a bigger problem than I was having with this one, so I switched back and managed to fix this. I'll keep the Halloween thing for a rainy day, though.

Essential to any mission was good reconnaissance. That was somewhat easier when Finral had the option of going a few hundred feet up. While he could technically make internal portals within the castle's barrier circle, though, it'd be rude and alarming to port up to the ceiling. Not the kind of attention he wanted.

So Finral scanned the crowd the old fashioned way. He picked out a scatter of gold robes- and one gold-robed redhead in particular- to avoid, and then made his way towards a trio of ladies chatting by one of the floor decorations.

“Good evening, ladies! I hope all of your dance cards aren't already full? Though I'm sure beauties such as yourselves have had plenty of offers.” He offered the compliment with his most charming smile.

The three he'd addressed turned toward him. The tallest, carrying a fan that matched her emerald eyes, eyed him appraisingly. To her right, a blonde in lavender lace giggled, tugging on the sleeve of the third woman, a brunette in blue.

“Oh, he's kind of cute...”

Finral internally cheered. _One of them thinks I'm cute, phase one successful!_

“Finral Roulacase, at your service.” He added a flourishing bow and a wink towards the blonde. She let out another giggle. The brunette smiled at him, showing dimples. _She's really pretty too..._

But their tall friend raised an elegant eyebrow. She gestured towards the crest on his robes with her fan. A condescending smile curved her lips. Finral's back stiffened even as he kept up a cheerful expression. _Here it comes._

“Sorry, but I'm not interested in a member of the Black Bulls.” _And there it is._ Finral hid a flinch as she continued, “Isn't it a little presumptuous for a member of the dead last squad to be so forward?”

The blonde giggled again. It was less charming this time. “Honoria, you're so blunt.”

But the brunette frowned. “Isn't that usually called rudeness?” Finral looked at her in surprise. 

The tall woman- Honoria- tsked. “There's no point in wasting manners on someone like that. Come along, Colette.” She took the blonde's arm and walked off. The brunette looked after them, still frowning. Despite her disagreement with her friends, Finral expected her to follow them.

Instead, she turned back towards him, expression apologetic. Finral blinked.

“I'm sorry about Honoria and Colette. Their families shelter them a lot, so they don't really understand how being a Magic Knight works.” She dropped into a brief curtsy. “I'm Bernice Castor. Pleased to meet you.”

Stunned at the unexpected civility, Finral resisted the urge to self-consciously rub at the back of his neck. _Play it cool._ “Don't worry about it, Miss Castor, it's fine.” It wasn't. Finral ignored the thought, forced a contrite smile. “It's not like I don't know my squad's reputation...”

“Oh, I'm sure that's nothing to do with you!” She spoke quickly, like she was worried she'd given offense. Finral hid another wince. “If he was the only captain who put his hand up at your exam, well, you didn't have a choice at that point.” Her eyes flicked across the ballroom. Finral reluctantly followed her gaze, unsurprised to see Yami hovering like a dark cloud at the edge of the crowd. At least he wasn't alone, though it was a bit brain-breaking to see Jack the Ripper in formal wear.

Looking back at Bernice, Finral decided not to mention that he'd had a choice, actually. Yami hadn't been the only one to raise his hand that day. Instead, he smiled widely and tried to change the subject. “The shade of blue you're wearing... is it just because it looks so wonderful on you? Or could you possibly have a family member in Blue Rose?” 

Bernice smiled. “My little sister! She was just accepted at the last exam. I never wanted to be a knight, but it was all she ever dreamed about. I'm so proud of her!”

For a split second, Finral imagined a flash of gold in his peripheral vision. He focused on Bernice's dimples. “Congratulations! That's not an easy squad to get into. Captain Roselei is very selective.”

Bernice nodded. “That's what everyone says. It makes me worry a little, because Blue Rose is such a small squad. I don't want her to be foolhardy to make up for it... though I guess that concern doesn't mean much to a Black Bull! You must think I'm silly.” She blushed.

Voice reassuring, Finral told her, “Not at all, Miss Castor! But I'm sure your sister's squadmates will take care of her.” Hoping to improve her opinion of the Bulls a little, he added, “The Black Bulls might be the smallest squad, and we definitely have the most reckless members,” Finral briefly flashed back to some of Luck and Magna's more _colorful_ mission reports, “but we keep each other safe.” With a laugh, he finished, “Even if the methods take years off my life sometimes...” _Some of the things I've seen Yami pull..._

Not that this was the time to be thinking about any of that. He was having a good time and a pretty lady was talking to him. 

That was all that mattered.

*

If there was any compensation for having to get dressed up, Yami decided, it was that everyone else suffered too. Jack looked like an embroidered green bean. And he probably knew it, judging by the way he was glaring around the ballroom. Like he could slice it to pieces with just his eyes.

_Bet he's thinking about it._

“Julius got the string bean to cover up, it's a miracle.” Jack turned his glare on Yami. For a second, his hand twitched like he wanted to go for his grimoire. Then he glanced across the room, where Julius was speaking to a handful of overdressed nobles. Jack grimaced.

_Yeah, not stupid enough to cross Julius._

Settling for a verbal counter instead, Jack asked, “Che, can the guy who goes to festivals in underwear talk?”

Ignoring _that_ as completely irrelevant, Yami gestured to Jack's mostly-full wine glass. “Got the same rules I did, huh?”

“No fighting, no cutting anything, don't curse, don't get drunk, three dances. Dictator.” Jack took a small sip. He looked like he was rationing it.

“I'll drink to that.” Yami grabbed a glass of his own from a passing server. Only took a sip, though, because he could admit that Jack had the right idea there. This was gonna be a lot longer of an evening if he hit his booze limit too soon.

“Anyone else from the fun crowd here?” Yami asked. He'd already checked for Livia; impossible to miss a beefy blonde the same height as Jack. Freaky tall bastards. Personally, given that Kirsch Vermillion was in attendance, Yami thought it showed pretty good sense on someone's part that she was absent.

_She'd just spend all night trying to hit on him. Always did have a thing for the sparkly ones._

Jack scoffed. “Most of them wouldn't be caught dead. Boyer is here,” Jack gestured towards the other side of the snack buffet, where a portly man in Mantis green was chatting with a few other knights, “because if I have to suffer, so does he. Saw Erica chatting up her new captain. Pretty sure she hates him.”

“Why?”

Snickering, Jack said, “Apparently Boismortier hadn't run into her before on duty. He asked her if she was wearing her mom's robe and wanted to be a Magic Knight when she was older.”

Yami burst out laughing. “She's- what, ten years older than him? Jeez, at least I was smart enough to notice her grimoire and keep my mouth shut.” Thoughtfully, he added, “Then again, I met her right after she'd shredded half a Diamond scout team. Might have helped me peg her age right. She's still damn short.” Yami took another sip of his drink. Good stuff, but drinking it this slow was a pain.

At least if he needed a cigarette he could step outside for a moment. Though, had he remembered to stow any in this getup? 

Eh, didn't matter so long as he had Finral. The benefits of having a portal mage on staff never stopped, really. They'd have to get back past the barrier circle, but if he was really craving a smoke, Yami was willing to do it.

Following the thought, Yami glanced around the ballroom. A vague sense of deja vu came over him as he again used the black robe to find Finral, and again found him exactly where he expected. The woman he was chatting with, though, actually looked like she was interested for once.

Huh. That was new. Yami started to frown-

“Yami, go kill Boismortier, he thought I was a kid! Make it really, really bloody!” Erica's high, piping voice broke into Yami's thoughts. He looked down.

Never having hit five foot, Erica really did look like a kid who'd found a Grey Deer uniform to play dress-up with. The comically over-sized grimoire on her back didn't help. Neither did her usual cutesy pigtails, though tonight her hair was braided back instead. None of it fooled Yami.

“Oi, go bother Vangeance. Or Jack.”

She pouted, making herself look even younger. Not that Yami was stupid enough to tell her that. “I already did. He told me that he trusted Julius' judgment.” With a glance at Jack, who was watching the exchange with amusement, she added, “And that guy wasn't Grey Deer. We only keep him around because he's funny.”

Jack smiled. “I'd cut you into little pieces, but you can't get any smaller than you already are.”

Erica beamed “See? He's funny. So, you're gonna go kill Boismortier, right?”

Deadpan, Yami told her. “I have full faith in the choice of the Wizard King.” He didn't blink.

Erica glared back. Her eyebrows twitched. The pout pressed into a thin line.

A second later, she burst into giggles. “Darn it, you always do that!” Tilting her head, she asked, “You're not gonna say it like that for your toast, right?”

Yami didn't move a muscle, but something must have flickered in his aura. Erika's eyes widened.

Jack just laughed. “Since when does this guy plan anything in advance?” He took another sip of his drink. “I'm looking forward to the entertainment.”

Yami scowled. _With friends like these... so fucking what if I haven't figured out what I'm gonna say, it's not hard. Fuckers._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finral's flirting is so extra, even when it's short it's hard to write. I apologize for the OCs, I'm trying to keep them to a minimum, but I needed them to grease the wheels a bit...
> 
> Feedback encouraged!


	4. Stand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this turned out angstier than expected, so I upgraded the tag from Light Angst to Angst.
> 
> There might be a few people unhappy with Finral after this one. But it's before Asta and Underwater Temple, so just reminding everybody that his self confidence is a wreck at this point in the timeline.

Finral was about to change the subject- his squad was never a good topic to linger on with the ladies- but he paused when Bernice's expression turned to curiosity. A little furtive, like she was unsure if she was allowed to ask, she said, “Is it true that your captain once cleared a whole dungeon alone?”

Finral couldn't stop a noise of exasperation at the memory. “Oh, that.” He felt his smile get a bit more relaxed and rueful, but couldn't stop that either. “He really did! I couldn't believe it. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't been there.” _Only Yami, really..._

Bernice blinked, looking confused. “But... if you were there, he wasn't alone, was he?” And Finral found himself reinforcing his smile again.

_She doesn't know that he might as well have been, I don't really count for anything. Probably shouldn't tell her that. This is why I hate talking about work when I'm trying to get a date._ Finral hedged, “Ah, my magic works best for support. He was the one doing all the heavy lifting.”

Bernice frowned. “But he took you out to a dungeon without backup? It must be terrible having to work with a captain like that.” Her hands clasped together in concern.

So much for improving her opinion of the Bulls. On the one hand, it was nice to receive some sympathy, because putting up with Yami was a full time job. On the other, it wasn't like he'd really been in any danger. Yami had dragged him through all kinds of messes over the years, and Finral had never had worse than a few bruises.

Trying for a reassuring tone again, Finral said, “Well, he can be kind of a handful, but...” He trailed off.

Finral couldn't exactly say that Yami didn't live up to his reputation. He was violent, he was impulsive, he was rude and crass beyond belief. But there was more to him than that. He took in strays- four-legged or two-legged- just because he could. He trained harder than anyone Finral had ever met to make up for the slow speed of his magic. He laughed at the _stupidest_ jokes.

And he thought Finral was worth having around.

It was just difficult to articulate that kind of thing in a casual conversation.

“...he's not a bad captain, really.” Finral could hear the lack of impact in his own words and felt a tightness in his chest. _Is that really all I can manage to say?_

“You really are a gentleman.” There was condolence in her voice, and Finral suppressed a wince. _Great. She thinks I'm just saying that because I'm too polite to insult my own captain._ Thinking about some of the things he'd said to Yami's face over the years, that was almost funny. 'Polite' wasn't the word Finral would use to describe most of their conversations.

Not that he was going to tell her that, either. Finral forced a laugh. “I really mean it, though! Reputation aside, he's not a bad guy.” From the look in Bernice's blue eyes, she didn't believe him. But she was too kind to say so. Mercifully, she switched topics, asking his opinion of the ball's grey and aqua decorating scheme.

Finral knew what he should do. He should speak up and defend his captain. That was what a good squad member would do.

Instead, he let her change the subject. But when she excused herself to speak to a friend, he let her go without making an effort to secure a dance. Freed from the conversation, he slipped away from the crowd and ducked into one of the empty side galleries. He leaned against the wall, resting his forehead on the cool marble.

The worst part was, it was a stupid thing to be upset about. Yami had never given a damn about his own reputation. He did what he wanted and everyone else could spin it however they liked. Finral had never been able to fathom that amount of self-assurance (or ego, because it was _definitely_ both), but that was just Yami. It always had been.

So Yami wouldn't care if some random noble woman thought poorly of him. He was also unlikely to care that Finral hadn't set her straight. Finral shouldn't care either. But the logic failed to make the ache in his chest go away.

Finral took a slow breath, and looked back towards the light and music coming from the ballroom. The toast was going to be announced soon. He might as well get back to Yami.

_There's at least one thing I can do right, even if it's just stand there._

*

Erika was still in disbelief about Yami's lack of preparedness for the toast when a clear chime sounded through the ballroom. All eyes went up to the dais where Julius stood, looking over the crowd with a pleased smile. The music faded out along with the murmur of voices as they waited for the Wizard King to speak.

“Distinguished guests! Thank you for gathering for the first Captain's Ball I've had the opportunity to host. After the long years of war with Diamond, I am glad to be able to finally grant a captain their rank with proper ceremony.”

Jack went 'che' under his breath. “If it'd come with a ball, I wouldn't have accepted the job,” he muttered. Yami privately agreed. Erika muffled a giggle.

_She really does think that guy is the height of hilarity... scary._

Julius talked a bit more about the recent years of prosperity before speaking about his decision to promote Boismortier. The young man in question was standing at Julius' side, his puffy white hair and shining eyes making him look like a starstruck cotton ball. Yami heard a few incredulous murmurs when Julius mentioned his youth, but now that he'd laid eyes on him, Yami didn't think it'd be a problem. He trusted his gut, and it was telling him that there was more to Boismortier than there seemed.

_It's weird, but something about him reminds me of Luck... Well, look at me and Jack. Wouldn't be the first time Julius picked a battle freak._

Partway through the abbreviated biography, Yami saw Finral making his way around the edges of the ballroom. He was alone. As Finral quietly stepped next to him, Yami almost asked what had happened to the woman he'd been chatting with earlier. But he figured the answer was pretty obvious. _That guy is never getting a date unless he relaxes, good-looking or not._

“Now, will the captains please come to the dais to make their toast to their new comrade, Captain Rill Boismortier of the Grey Deer!”

Jack pulled a face, but walked toward the dais, a few members of Green Mantis peeling off from the crowd to join him. Yami started forward, expecting to be alone. He was surprised when Finral kept pace with him. Yami's gaze flicked ahead, where Vangeance and his squad members had already taken their place in the row. Langris stood on Vangeance's right. Finral's shoulders were stiff. Quietly, Yami murmured to Finral, “You can ditch, you know. Didn't ask you to put up with him tonight.”

Finral was looking a bit pale, but his steps didn't falter. “It's fine. It'd be weird if you were the only captain without an escort, wouldn't it?” 

They were almost at the dais, so Yami let it be. Langris' eyes were cool as he regarded the approaching Bulls, but he stayed silent. _Good, maybe Vangeace finally taught him something. Still don't get why he made that guy his vice captain. Fuck combat ability, I'll take Finral any day of the week._

Finral stuck close at Yami's side and didn't look at his brother. Meanwhile, at a gesture from Julius, the voice amplification spell floated over to Fuegoleon. Yami's ears pricked up.

_Hmm. Maybe I can crib something good from Captain Hot-Head._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Yami, please don't plagiarize Fuegoleon, they'll notice...


	5. Toast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter... sigh. Summarizing speeches does not make for the most engaging reading, but I couldn't just skip them entirely...

Fuegoleon's speech, unfortunately, did not provide anything usable. There was a lot about how Rill's youth was the proof of the nation's potential and how anyone could work hard and be strong. Fuegleon's usual, but nothing that would sound natural coming out of Yami's mouth.

Nozel's was worse. It was short where Fuegoleon's was long, but all he really did was comment on Rill's noble heritage. Under his stoicism, Nozel seemed irritated. Glancing at Rill, who was practically fidgeting with excitement, Yami figured that Nose-Braid had had some words to say to Julius behind closed doors. Nozel wasn't the type to approve of that kind of personality in an officer.

Gueldre just gave a bland line about Rill having Julius' approval, then added that he was sure that the newly-named Azure Deer and the Purple Orcas would work well together in the future. Yami suppressed a snort. _Honey Ham's already figured out a way to try and get the new kid to help him turn a profit. Guy never changes._

Dorothy slept on, leaving the toast to Kirsch. Who unsurprisingly commented on the beauty of Rill's magic and, like Nozel, on his bloodline. Yami heard Jack's quiet 'tch' and didn't disagree. _Oi, assholes, me'n Jack are standing right here, you can quit yammering about how being a noble is what'll make him a good captain._

Vangeance was smooth as ever, but at least he commented on Julius' knack for finding and cultivating talent rather than on noble lineage. It was hard to tell with the mask, but Yami thought he saw Vangeance's eyes briefly cut his way. Not for the first time, Yami wondered about the guy's past. He was a noble, but sometimes... eh. _Not my business._

Vangeance wrapped it up, and Yami hid a wince. _Shit. My turn and no good ideas to steal. Geez, they should have just hired speech writers for this thing._ Yami glanced at Julius, his paternal smile unfazed as the voice amplification spell floated from Vangeance to Yami. At his right, Finral flashed a brief attempt at an encouraging smile, but mostly looked like he was bracing himself. Yami narrowed his eyes.

_Okay, that's it, I'm knocking this out of the park just to see the look on that idiot's face._ Taking a breath, he looked back over the crowd. Thought about what hadn't been said yet.

“It's not the first time the Wizard King has made an unconventional choice of captain,” Yami started. He thought he heard a few agreeing murmurs. Considering it was him saying it, the nobles here probably figured that was an understatement.

“As a former member of Grey Deer, I'm not surprised. His recruitment choices back then were pretty unusual too.” Yami felt some satisfaction when a few gazes flicked toward Vangeance's mask. _Good, they're remembering that I'm not the only weird one._

“But you know what? It worked. We had the most bizarre collection of knights on the field,” out in the crowd, Erica stuck her tongue out at him, “and it worked because we found new ways to do things.” _And it sure confused the shit out of Diamond. Good times._

“There's never just one way to get the job done. Rill Boismortier won't run Azure Deer the way Julius Novachrono ran Grey Deer. He'll do it his own way.” Looking over at Rill, Yami raised his glass and added, “And good luck with all the rest of the weirdos our Wizard King recruited, you're gonna need it.” Next to him, Vangeace muffled a cough that sounded suspiciously like a chuckle. Yami drank, taking advantage of everyone else doing the same to glance around. Julius looked the same as before, like he'd never had any doubts about Yami's performance. That was gratifying.

Finral was looking back at Yami with wide eyes, like despite the flippant comment at the end he couldn't believe that Yami had actually treated it seriously. Yami hid a grin in his wine. _Teach you to underestimate me, I can talk fancy when I want to._

*

_Did a semi-okay speech really just come out of that guy's mouth?!_

Finral felt he could be excused a little incredulity. It was true that Yami had a knack for saying the right thing in the heat of the moment; Finral still remembered what he'd said to Gauche, when the escaped convict they'd been hunting had become their next squad member. But it had never translated to public speaking.

_And those looks he gave me... Honestly, why does it feel like he did that just to prove a point?_

As the voice spell floated over to Jack, though, it was the content of the toast that gave Finral pause. He barely listened to Jack's speech. Playing to the expectations of the captain of Green Mantis, it was all about Rill's combat record. Instead, Finral replayed Yami's in his head. 

_Just a longer version of 'do things your own way,' wasn't it?_

Finral kept his breathing even and focused on a random point across the ballroom, fighting the way his heart rate had picked up. He'd never thought that Yami had been lying. But it was one thing to hear it privately, the kind of thing a captain said to improve a subordinate's moral, and another thing to hear it publicly expressed as a personal philosophy. 

_Of course, there's not really a parallel. Captain Boismortier can actually fight. Having unconventional combat tactics is a little different than having no combat ability at all._ The thought sat heavy in Finral's gut, but it helped him calm down. He tried to focus on the last toast.

Charlotte's speech was short, but to the point. She'd clearly done more homework on Boismortier than Yami, listing the leadership achievements she felt had merited Julius' choice. It was a bit dry, but Finral doubted most people would notice or care when it was Charlotte Roselei talking.

After she was done, the voice spell finally returned to Julius, who beamed. “Captains, thank you for your words of wisdom and encouragement. And now, the sitting captains will open the dancing!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yami's speech nearly killed me. That guy does not do formal naturally.
> 
> Langris should be in the next chapter, I had to cut this a bit short.
> 
> Feedback encouraged!


	6. Dance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sigh. I was really hoping that six would be the last chapter, but I got less time to write than I wanted and had to cut this again. But at least Langris finally shows up.

Yami felt Jack tense up beside him as six women and two men crossed the ballroom toward the row of captains. _He's not looking forward to this any more than I am._ But when Yami's partner came forward, Yami recognized her: one of the knights from Julius' office. A quick glance over at Jack's partner revealed the same. 

_Clever. Julius' people believe in him, so they'll back him. Even if it means dancing with me or scarface._

The rest of the captains' partners were unfamiliar, presumably nobility. The man offering Charlotte his arm was already sweating heavily; whether from Charlotte's own icy demeanor or the concentrated glare being aimed at him by every Blue Rose in the room, Yami couldn't say. Nozel's partner looked intimidated, Fuegoleon's charmed, Vangeance's a bit smitten. Gueldre's had a calculating look to her, and Yami bit back a laugh. _If she's thinking of playing gold digger, she's fishing in the wrong stream; Honey Ham would rather hawk her jewels than give her any._ The poor guy paired with Dorothy looked uncertain as to how one danced with a sleeping partner.

_Stupid rules. Bet Kirsch would be able to handle it just fine, but no, can't have that._

A knight from Julius' office was better than a random noble lady looking down her nose at him, but Yami still would have rather danced with Finral.

_No use complaining about it. Show time._

*

As the captains stepped forward to meet their dance partners, the gold in Finral's peripheral vision reminded him that he should get going. But as he stepped back, the music started. Unable to help his own curiosity, he paused. Watched as Yami and the unfamiliar woman started to dance.

Finral had been right about one thing: Yami wasn't embarrassing himself on the dance floor. He really was good at anything physical. It was probably Finral's imagination, but he thought the woman dancing with him looked a bit surprised. Despite the quality food and wine, there was a sour taste in Finral's mouth.

Jealousy. Because Yami was dancing with a pretty lady, and Finral was jealous. Of him. Because there was nothing else that made sense. He wasn't insulted by her surprise, because that would be stupid. And he wasn't jealous of _her_, because...

Too many reasons to bother listing. Finral looked away. There might still be some time to try and get a dance of his own, that would make him feel better. He just had to escape before-

“The golden son and the black sheep. How literal, brother.”

All thoughts about dancing vanished in the chill that swept down Finral's spine. His back stiffened. He was tempted to keep walking, to pretend he hadn't heard Langris' voice. But he couldn't do it. All of the things he'd let go over the years, he still couldn't ignore his little brother. Slowly, Finral turned to face him.

Golden Dawn had a full uniform option. So it was considered acceptable here, despite having red and blue accents. Langris, probably due to his rank as vice-captain, had opted for formal wear instead. With the same color choices as Finral, he'd gone for all gold. 

_At least this close I can tell that he's doing well. When he was first named vice-captain he had circles under his eyes for a solid month._

Like he had been for years, Finral didn't respond to what Langris had actually said. “It's good to see you too, Langris. Having fun?”

Langris smiled. “Some of us have more important priorities.” 

Finral bit back a sigh. _I walked into that one._ But he smiled, faking a cheer he didn't feel. “Even the vice-captain of the Golden Dawn should unwind sometimes.” He probably shouldn't have said it, he knew that, but Finral hated to think about his brother being serious and driven every second of every day. _You're not going to turn into me just by relaxing a little. He's going to work himself into an early grave at this rate._

Langris raised an eyebrow. “Does that advice mean anything from someone who barely works at all?” Then he glanced towards the dance floor. Finral couldn't help but follow his gaze. Yami was still dancing with the woman. The sour taste came back, and Finral hurriedly looked away.

Langris chuckled and lowered his voice. “Worried he's going to embarrass you? It's a little late for that, isn't it?” He smirked. “He'll do it his own way? Is that how he justifies being the captain of the worst squad?”

Finral's throat felt like it was closing. He managed to force out, “Even you shouldn't talk about a captain like that, Langris.” It was weak, just as pathetic as what he'd said to Bernice, and Finral felt the wave of self-loathing all over again.

“And who is going to stop me? Not _you_.” Finral flinched. Shrugging, voice amused, Langris added, “Besides, it's only true.”

Finral tried to swallow, to give voice to some kind of reply, but everything died before it reached his tongue. Cold blue eyes tracked his struggle. Langris' smile widened. 

“It's good to see you too, brother. It's good to know that some things never change.” Still smirking, Langris turned on his heel and left the dais, golden cape flaring behind him. Finral finally made his escape, forcing himself to walk rather than run. He didn't want anyone looking at him. On instinct, he headed away from the dance floor, circling the edge of the ballroom.

_Does he have to do this every time? Make sure I still know which of us is better? I'm not likely to forget._

Finral could hear snatches of light conversation and a woman's laughter. It tugged at his attention, promising a distraction from his brother's words. But when he looked up again, his eyes found the one black clad figure in the sea of color. 

There'd been a partner switch at some point during Langris' needling. The woman Yami was dancing with now was distracted, constantly glancing over her shoulder. Finral knew that look. It twisted in his gut. She was trying make sure none of her friends were looking at who she was dancing with.

By contrast, Yami's face was impassive to the point of bored. Finral tried to feel irritated with himself. _He doesn't care, why should I?_ But the feeling didn't go away. He tried to look back across the crowd, find something to distract himself with, but the guilt kept eating at him. Finally he turned away, and headed towards the doors.

_Yami'll want to get out of here the second he can. I won't have the time to get a dance anyway._ He sighed. _I can't even manage to have a good time when I'm ordered to... That's pathetic._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Finral, this has not been a good night so far.
> 
> Feedback encouraged!


	7. Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought I'd have to skip this week for the holidays, but I managed to kick this out at the eleventh hour. Now I'm gonna go pass out.

Yami stepped off the dance floor with a sigh of relief. Three dances, done. He'd wound up partnered with Charlotte for the last. He could only assume that Julius had given her a similar minimum dance requirement, because she'd been red and shaking with suppressed rage the whole time. 

_That woman really doesn't like me._

Time to find Finral and get out before Julius came up with any other favors. But this time, when Yami glanced over the ballroom, he found Finral already lurking by the doors, unaccompanied. _Not even trying to get a last minute date? That's weird._ He'd been sure that he'd have to pry Finral away from one of the clusters of giggling ladies circling the dance floor like vultures. 

Finral's expression was uncharacteristically unreadable as Yami walked over to him. “You ready to go?” Yami asked, probing a little. 

“All set, Yami.” Finral smiled. It was the same fake smile Yami had seen the last time Finral had left House Vaude. Yami didn't turn around or change expression, but it wasn't hard to pick out the only other spatial magic user in the room by mana signature alone. Langris was the only one who got Finral in this kind of mood. 

Yami forced down the temptation to go remind the little punk that, vice-captain or not, Yami could still eat him for breakfast. _So much for Vangeance teaching him anything._ Unfortunately, prior experience told Yami that telling Langris to put a cork in it only stressed Finral more. 

Instead, Yami headed straight for the doors. “Let's get out of here.” Finral followed without commentary. Technically they could have portalled out from the ballroom itself. But people would notice, and it was the kind of disturbance Yami had promised Julius he wouldn't make tonight. 

The instant the doors swung shut behind them, cutting off the light and music from the ballroom, Yami felt some of his own tension bleed out. He slowed his pace as they walked through the courtyard towards the outer gate. Finral lagged to match instead of catching up like he usually would. Yami frowned. A glance back revealed that the fake smile had given way to a pensive look. 

_At least he's not trying to fool _me,_ then. That's an improvement._

Yami stopped. He turned, opening his mouth to speak, but Finral beat him to it. 

“You are a good captain.” Finral was looking down, but without the usual curtain of his bangs, Yami could see his eyes, as focused and serious as his voice. His hands were fisted at his sides. 

Yami stared. _The hell? What brought that on?_ Caught off guard by the shift in tone, suddenly awkward, he looked away. “Shit, Finral, warn a guy. You're gonna make me blush.” 

There was a silver of silence. Then, out of the corner of his eye, Yami saw Finral's shoulders relax and his hands unclench. Finral was still quiet as he replied, but the heaviness had faded. “Do you even know how?” Finral muttered. It was weak, but there was a ghost of a real smile on his lips now. 

“Probably not.” With a smirk, Yami reached over and finally did what he’d been wanting to do all night: he tugged Finral’s hair tie loose. The curls bounced free immediately, prompting a strangled, “Yami!” from Finral as he pushed them back out of his eyes, trying to restore some form of order. “Better. Now you look like you.” 

Through the curtain of Finral's bangs, Yami saw him go pink. Yami chuckled. On impulse, he reached out and swept aside a lock of hair, fingertips brushing Finral's cheek. “And you blush enough for both of us.” 

Finral froze, going even redder. His mouth opened and closed a few times, like he was trying to speak. Yami snickered as he pulled his hand back. That seemed to snap Finral out of it. 

He was still blushing, but he retorted, “Didn't you have a liquor limit tonight? I'm getting you out of here before you do something else embarrassing.” With a gesture, Finral called up his grimoire and opened a portal. Yami raised an eyebrow, wondering why Finral thought he'd had too much to drink, but dismissed it in favor of getting home. 

_He's gonna randomly compliment me, least I can do is not make him hold the portal open. Tonight, anyway._

* 

Finral was still trying to force the blush off his face when he stepped through the portal after Yami. _Did he really drink too much? It's not like him to disobey Lord Julius. Then again, it's not really like him to do _that_ either._ Physical affection from Yami was usually limited to the occasional hair ruffle. Which explained him messing with Finral's hair tie, but not the warmth from Yami's touch still lingering on Finral's cheek. 

The sudden increase of noise level the instant Finral emerged at base wasn't noteworthy. Magna and Luck hurling blasts at each other barely registered. What broke Finral from his thoughts was Yami's howls of laughter. Glancing over, Finral's concerns immediately derailed. He couldn't say he wasn't a little grateful, even if the reason was bizarre. 

“Er... why is Magna naked?” Finral was mostly addressing Vanessa, who was giggling on the couch, but the answer came from another quarter. 

“He's... really... bad... at... poker.” Henry said. His smile was disturbingly innocent. On his bed was a small pile of what looked like most of Magna's possessions (clothes included) aside from his grimoire. Charmy, Grey (currently in large form) and Gordon were sitting near him. All four had steaming bowls of what Finral recognized as Charmy's Super-Mana-Restoring chowder. 

Vanessa- flushed and considerably less steady on her feet than when they'd left- sauntered over. She threw her arms wide. “Welcome home, Captain, Finral! Did you get me that bottle?” 

Finral gave her a long look. Then he opened a small portal and pulled out a bottle. Vanessa gave a triumphant cry as she went to grab it. 

Yami, looking away from the fight, grinned. “Seriously, Finral?” 

“Portalled it to my room when no one was paying attention,” Finral explained sheepishly. “You can portal out from the barrier circle just fine. And it's not like I stole it, the drinks were free, so...” Looking at Vanessa's happy smile, bracketed on one side by the chaos of Luck and Magna's fight and Henry's circle of mana draining on the other, Finral felt lighter than he had all night. He glanced over at Yami, who'd gone back to laughing at Magna. 

_At least I could say it to him. That's better than nothing, right?_

Clearly Finral just wasn't cut out for fancy ballroom parties anymore. He'd stick to cafes and bars after this. Taking a deep breath, he headed over to Charmy to grab dinner. 

It was always good to come home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Charlotte, we know that wasn't rage. Sorry hun, this is a YamiFin fic, but I still love you. I actually just wrote the bit (several installments in the future) where she finds out, so I'm feeling extra sympathetic towards her.
> 
> Feedback encouraged!


End file.
